Natural Fashionistas: Dayna & Brittany- Chic Naturalistas

December 31, 2015

We had a really nice group of Natural Fashionistas this year, didn’t we? I thank all those lovely ladies for sharing with us! To round out 2015, I reached out to two beautiful, stylish women whose brand has really taken off this year.

DAYNA: My name is Dayna. I am a wife and mother to my amazing daughter Aria. I work full time in corporate America, for a large sporting apparel brand. Outside from my full time job, I blog and co-manage our brand CHICNaturalistas. I am originally from Cleveland Ohio, but I currently reside in Baltimore Maryland.

BRITTANY: My name is Brittany. I am a wife-to-be to my incredible fiancé and a fur-mommy to my dog Scout. I’m the Retail Manager at R. Riveter, a handbag company that was started to provide mobile and flexible employment for military spouses and I co-manage CHICNaturalistas. I’m also originally from Cleveland, OH but have become a rolling stone now that I’m living a military lifestyle. We currently live in Spring Lake, NC.

How long have you been wearing your hair in its natural state?

DAYNA: I have been natural for almost 3 years now. This year, I cut my hair to its shortest length and I fell in love with my hair all over again! I found the style that fits me best and I am so happy with my hair and journey so far.

BRITTANY: I’ve been wearing my hair it’s natural state since February 24th of 2013. Dayna and I both big chopped in the same month!

What do you love most about having naturally textured hair?

DAYNA: I love most that I can be myself; I don’t have to add chemicals to make it something that it is not. I can comfortably wear my hair the way God intended me to wear it. I also LOVE the versatility and the low maintenance of my style.

BRITTANY: I love how versatile my hair is. I’m actually so much more confident and comfortable with my natural hair. I know that this is me and I’m proud of the way I look.

What’s one of the biggest things you’ve learned on this journey so far?

DAYNA: The biggest thing that I have learned is to love YOUR hair. It is so easy to get caught up in the texture game, and wanting to have hair like the next girl. But I have learned that the moment you embrace your own texture, the ups, the downs, the good and the bad, you will have a better journey and experience. Do not continually compare your hair length, growth rate or texture. Just love what you have!

BRITTANY: I learned something recently actually! I learned the importance of deep conditioning when you have color treated hair. My hair has been blonde for about 6 months now and I’ve struggled with a lot of breakage. I even had a section of my hair not returning to its natural curl after straightening it. I will now be deep conditioning weekly!

Briefly tell us about your hair care routine and your go-to style(s).

DAYNA: My regimen is pretty simple, I try to wash and deep condition once every two weeks. With my length, my go to style is a twist out and/or coils.

BRITTANY: My go-to style is flat twists. I remember it took me a while to perfect it. I usually use purple shampoo and an Organix conditioner. I use Curls Crème Brule, EcoStyler gel, and castor to twist it.

Some feel that returning to their natural hair texture has made them more open to take risks with fashion. Do each of you find this to be true of yourselves?

DAYNA: I do not think that being natural makes one open to take more risks with their fashion, but what I do think, is that the confidence us Naturalistas exude is what is the most impressive thing. When we decided to embrace our natural hair we decided to let go of the stereotypical idea of beauty and showcase it in our own way. Adding the style piece is simply the icing on the cake!

BRITTANY: For me, I’ve always taken a lot of fashion risks. In college my friends nicknamed me Boy George. I used to thrift a lot and the wackier the blazer, sweater, or pants the better. I’ve changed my style a lot now that I’m a little older.

How would you each describe your personal style?

DAYNA: I would describe my style as EFFORTLESS, FIERCE, and of course, CHIC. My motto is to keep it simple yet significant. I love minimal pieces but with an added POW! I also love to mix in men’s fashion for a little clean, tailored, tomboy CHIC.

BRITTANY: My style varies, I would describe it CHICwith an edge, and a dash of Boy George. I still love to wear my blazers and I’ll never let go of wearing white collared shirts or my faux furs. I love clean lines so basic staples have become some of my favorites as well.

What makes Chic Naturalistas different from other fashion blogs and why join forces to share your style as a duo?

We decided to join forces firstly because we are friends. We both started our natural hair journey together and we have always loved fashion. We live fashion, and with us both embracing our natural hair together, we decided that we wanted to encourage and inspire other women to embrace their hair as well. We saw a void in the natural hair community for fashionable naturals so we decided to fill it. This is what set us apart from other fashion blogs. Not only do we showcase our own sense of style, but we share our personal hair journey as well as the journeys and styles of other women.

Where do you ladies like to shop?

DAYNA: My newfound favorite store is Primark. It finally made its way to the US and has its first store in Philly. I also love to shop at Aldo, Forever 21, H&M, Banana Republic and thrift stores.

Please offer some words of advice to those who are new to the natural life and one or two fashion tips.

Like Dayna mentioned above, Embrace your journey all of the good, bad and ugly. Do not get caught up in the comparison of your chapter 1 to maybe someone else’s chapter 10. Love your journey, your texture and what God has blessed you with. We always pride ourselves on being our true self. Staying true to who you are is so important in this day and age.

As for fashion, always wear what YOU like. Don’t get too caught up in trying to dress like someone else. Wear what makes you happy and don’t be afraid to take a few risks while doing so!

Great advice ladies! Thanks for helping us get to know you a little better.